April 04, 2022 10:44 AM UTC

The Stefanik Effect: There Is No Moving On From Trump

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• by: Colorado Pols

This morning, Republican candidate for governor Hiedi Heidi Ganahl proudly announced her latest endorsement, as reported (notably) by the far-right fake news outlet Just The News owned by nationally known conservative pseudo-journalist procovateur John Solomon–Republican House Minority Caucus Chair Elise Stefanik:

“I’m endorsing the strongest candidate in the Colorado GOP primary and the woman who can most assuredly take on Jared Polis and his $24M bank account and win,” Stefanik wrote in a statement obtained by Just the News.

Ganahl said she is “blessed and honored to be endorsed by Elise.”

“I have so much respect for Elise,” the gubernatorial candidate told Just the News. “She’s truly a leader in the conservative movement. And it’s such a shining example for women across the country on how to fight for a great country.”

Stefanik’s endorsement of Ganahl comes just a few weeks after her co-endorsement of “women to watch” in the new CD-8 Republican primary Jan Kulmann and Barbara Kirkmeyer, as reported by the Phil Anschutz-owned Washington Examiner. This could be interpreted as a slight to the most vociferously pro-MAGA candidate in the race Lori Saine, but more important to both Kulmann and Kirkmeyer (and for that matter, Heidi Ganahl) is what Stefanik represents within the Republican coalition.

Stefanik’s entire claim to political power in Congress rests on her continuing support for Donald Trump. Stefanik’s rise in Trump’s orbit culminated in the ouster of Rep. Liz Cheney as Republican caucus chair last year after Cheney turned against Trump over the January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Despite being kicked off a Harvard University advisory committee for her stubborn embrace of the “Big Lie,” Stefanik continues to be richly rewarded in the Republican caucus for her loyalty to Trump, reportedly in consideration for GOP Whip or even higher positions in the event Republicans retake the House in the 2022 midterms.

In their upcoming primaries, all of these candidates are sure to trumpet Stefanik’s support. The flip side is that Stefanik belies every attempt by Republicans looking ahead to the general election to argue credibly that the party has moved on from 2020 and accepted the defeat of ex-President Trump. Stefanik’s influence in Republican primaries is a reminder that Trump is still very much in control of the Republican Party nationally, and that’s not the message smart Republicans want to carry to November.

But unless something unforeseen happens, it doesn’t look like they’ll have much choice.